I'm only gonna let you kill me once
by storyfactory
Summary: Booth would go to any length to save Brennan from making a huge mistake even if it cost their partnership. One day he receives a call. Brennan needs him again, but can they restore the trust between them?
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"Wanted to see me?" Booth asked upon entering Sam Cullen's office. His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed the person sitting in the chair in front of the deputy director's large mahogany desk. Dr. Camille Saroyan, head of the Forensic Division at the Jeffersonian Institute. She looked impeccable as always, her black trousers suit perfectly tailored, her thick black hair professionally styled. The only unusual thing was her expression: she looked very serious.

Something important must have happened, Booth thought. "What's wrong? Why are you here, Cam?"

"Dr. Saroyan has just reported an incident," Cullen said.

Booth looked at Cam, but she kept her eyes fixed on her four-inch heels. "What incident?" he asked with increasing impatience. "What's going on?"

"Agent Booth, you are suspended from your duties until further notice. I have to ask you to hand over your gun and your badge," the deputy director said imperatively.

"What? Why?" Booth asked, shocked.

Cam raised from the chair and looked at him, her expression sad and apologetic. "I'm sorry, Booth. You're my friend. I had to do this in your interest."

She turned on her heel and left, delegating the uneasy task of explaining to Cullen.

Booth turned to the deputy director. "What the hell is this about?"

"Calm down, Booth. Dr. Saroyan filed an official complaint against you for assaulting one of the doctors of the Jeffersonian Institute."

Booth let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, come on. I did not assault Zack. I mean Dr. Addy. I just ... pushed him. A little. He wasn't hurt."

"He wasn't, but according to Dr. Saroyan you were," Cullen put on his glasses and glanced into his papers, "under the influence of alcohol when the incident happened."

Booth froze. "What?"

Cullen sat back in his chair and looked at his agent. He couldn't help, but notice that he looked miserable. He had dark circles under his eyes and he obviously lost some weight lately. He was only a shadow of his old self and Cullen felt sorry for him. He'd always liked Booth and last thing he wanted was to lose him as an agent.

"This can't go on like this, Booth," he said, his voice filled with sympathy.

Booth collapsed in the chair. He knew his boss was right. No matter how hard he'd tried to pretend that everything was fine.

The deputy director sighed. "I am aware of the fact that you and Dr. Brennan were very close." He noticed how Booth tensed up at the bare mention of the anthropologist's name. "And I know you miss her."

Booth fixed his gaze on the abstract painting on the wall to avoid eye contact with his boss. But he wasn't fast enough. Cullen already saw the pain in his eyes. He softened his tone. "You're one of my best agents, Booth. But you really need to pull yourself together if you want to keep your job."

Booth looked at him in surprise. "Are you serious?" He knew he was in trouble, but he didn't see that coming.

"Yes, I am. Your behavior has been very questionable lately, Booth. Agents come to me and complain about how hard it is to get along with you. And I don't like that." He paused, forcing Booth to look him in the eyes. "I want you to see the FBI's therapist."

Booth stood. "A shrink? No way."

Cullen stood, too. The agent's stubbornness angered him. "It's not a recommendation," he said firmly. "It's an order. Your drinking problem worries me."

"I don't have a drinking problem. I have everything under control."

"Really? Like the other day in the interrogation room?"

Booth frowned. "How do you know about that?"

"That you almost broke the arm of a suspect? I'm the boss here, remember?" he said angrily. "I'm the one who has to clean up the mess you make."

Booth cast his eyes down. Cullen was right except that _he_ was the mess himself.

"Look, Booth. You have to admit that you need help. This incident at the Jeffersonian was the last straw. Go to the therapist. His name is Dr. Lance Sweets. He's good guy. And as soon as he declares you fit for duty, I'll reinstate you."

Booth gave him a faint nod. He placed his badge and his gun on Cullen's desk.

"Thank you," Cullen said and watched him disappear through the doorway. He let out a sigh. From time to time his agents acted like nasty kids whom the schoolmaster had to punish just for their own sakes. And FBI Deputy Director Sam Cullen hated to play the part of the schoolmaster.

**What happened to Brennan? If you want to find out, stay tuned. And please, please, please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Six months earlier_

_Temperance Brennan woke up to a beautiful Saturday. A perfect one, as a matter of fact. It was her first free weekend for months and she had plans. Nothing dramatic, but she finally wanted to start working on her new novel. The work with the FBI proved to be an endless source of inspiration: she had a lot of ideas for the plot and the characters. But ironically, it was exactly the work with the FBI that prevented her from writing it down. The last three months were very stressful. Booth and she worked on a serial killer case which took up all of her time and energy. But now the case was closed, her phone was turned off and she was looking forward to spending the whole day in front of her laptop. After a quick cold water shower, she put on a pair of checked lounge pants and a grey T-shirt. Five minutes later she was sitting on her couch with her laptop and a mug of freshly brewed coffee. Perfect, she thought again with satisfaction. She opened a new document, but she had hardly begun to type when her doorbell rang._

"_This can't be true," she said._

_She put down the laptop on the coffee table and went over to the door reluctantly. She looked through the peephole and sighed. Great, she thought as she opened the door. _

"_Hey, Bones," Booth greeted her with a wide grin._

"_What are you doing here, Booth? It's Saturday."_

"_I would've called, but you turned off you phone," he said and walked into the apartment._

"_For a reason," she said sharply and closed the door._

"_And what if we have a case?"_

"_It's obviously not a problem for you to find me. Do we have a case?"_

"_No," he said and sat down on her couch. "Do I smell coffee?"_

"_What do you want, Booth?"_

"_A cup of coffee would be great, thanks."_

"_I mean why are you here?"_

"_I need your help, Bones," he said and flashed her his most charming smile._

_Brennan furrowed her eyebrows. The charming smile was a bad sign. He played it out only when he wanted something really badly. And if Special Agent Seeley Booth wanted something really badly, he usually got it._

"_I told you I wouldn't do Parker's science homework anymore," she said and went over to the kitchen counter. She poured him a coffee._

"_It's not that," he said and took the coffee mug from her. "Come on, Bones. Do you really have a mug with the periodic table of elements on it?"_

"_Yes. I find it quite useful."_

"_Seriously? I find it quite depressing. Drinking coffee is supposed to be a relaxing activity and now all I can think of is how many times I failed chemistry tests."_

"_Booth, I'm quite busy. Tell me what you want."_

"_I need a new mattress."_

"_What?"_

"_You know I have problems with my back," he said. "So I decided to buy a new mattress. And today everything is 30% off at the Mattress King."_

"_And you tell it to me because…"_

"_Because I want you to come with me."_

"_What? No."_

"_Please, Bones. You are an expert on human anatomy. Help me find the perfect mattress. That's best for my back. My health is at stake here. Please."_

_Typical. First the charming smile and now the puppy eyes. _

"_But I'm in the middle of something."_

"_In the middle of what?" Booth asked and looked around the room._

_Brennan gestured toward her laptop. Booth glanced at the screen. "What is Cha?"_

"_It's meant to be Chapter 1," she said dryly._

"_Right. I think you will be able to pick up the threads later."_

"_Fine," Brennan gave in. "One hour."_

_Booth sprang up from the couch and looked at her watch. "Got it. 60 minutes including a thank you breakfast." He gave him another boyish smile and Brennan couldn't help but smile back. She had to admit that Booth was real fun when he wasn't wearing his suit. Yes, she definitely liked weekend Booth._

"_So, what kind of mattress should I buy? Hard, soft, semi-soft?" Booth asked as they entered the showroom. It was located in a warehouse and thanks to the clearance it was crowded with customers._

"_It depends on what you intend to do on it," Brennan said._

_Booth gave him a confused look. "Isn't it kind of obvious?"_

"_I mean if you are planning to do physical activity on it frequently, you should chose a mattress with appropriate reinforcement," she explained matter-of-factly._

"_Are you talking about sex?"_

"_Yes. Isn't it kind of obvious?"_

"_Yeah. Did you consider this aspect when you bought your mattress?"_

"_No I didn't, but my intercourses are not limited to my bed."_

"_And what makes you think mine are?"_

"_I don't know. Maybe because you're a good Catholic."_

_Booth let out a laugh. Brennan was the most intelligent and also the most naïve person he'd ever met. He hated shopping, but he had to admit that this was quite amusing._

"_This looks good," Brennan said and lay down on a grey tufted mattress._

_Booth glanced at the price tag. "Get up, Bones. Even with 30% off this mattress cost more than my monthly rent."_

"_No, Booth, you have to try this one," she said and reached for his hand. "Come here, " she said and closed her eyes. "Mmmm. It feels so good."_

_Suddenly Booth felt really hot. Brennan lying on the mattress in front him, her eyes closed, her hand in his hand, it was quite disturbing to say the least. He took deep breath to clear his head. She finally opened her eyes and looked up at him in confusion._

"_Why don't you lie down?" she said and patted the mattress next to her, indicating that he should join her._

"_I just don't think…," he mumbled, but she cut in._

"_That's the best way to find out if it's good enough. It's like an experiment. We artificially create a possible scenario," she explained, her eyes lit up with excitement. "Let's suppose you're having sex with someone who has the same weight as me. Now, lie down next to me and all we have to do is to move our hips rhythmically. This way we will generate the exact amount of power a real sexual intercourse would generate. Come on, let's do it."_

_Booth shook his head. "No."_

"_Why not? It's just an experiment. It's just imitation of sex."_

"_No."_

"_Come on, Booth. Don't be such a prude."_

"_I'm not going to imitate sex with you," Booth burst out. A couple of customers turned their heads into their direction._

_Booth cast down his eyes. He felt embarrassed. Only Brennan was capable to do this to him. Five minutes ago she'd acted like an adorable little girl and now she drove him completely crazy. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring her along._

"_Fine," Brennan said with a grimace and stood up._

"_Excuse me," a saleswoman's voice came from behind Booth's back. He turned and saw an attractive young woman with long blond curls. She seemed to be quite amused and Booth hoped she didn't overhear the whole conversation. "Can I help you?" she asked._

"_Yes. I would like to buy this mattress," he said hastily. _

_Brennan looked at him, surprised. "You'll buy this one? But I didn't even give you my medical opinion."_

"_Your non-medical opinion was enough," Booth said with unconcealed irony._

_Brennan shrugged. Whatever. She started to become irritated with this whole shopping experience. She didn't understand why Booth was mad at her. She just wanted to help him like he'd asked._

"_That's a very good choice, sir. High-quality material, durable construction," the saleswoman said checking Booth out from head to toe with a provocative glance. "You and your wife will be very satisfied with it."_

_A wide confident smile spread across Booth's face. "We are not married. We just work together."_

_The saleswoman nodded and returned the smile. "Would you like home delivery?"_

"_Yes, please," Booth said and gave her his card._

"_Special Agent Seeley Booth? You work for the FBI?" She was clearly impressed._

"_Yes, he does," Brennan said impatiently. Last thing she wanted was to see these two flirting with each other in front of her. "And he is very sick. It's his back. That's why he needs a new mattress. You know men at his age tend to…"_

"_Bones, that's enough," Booth cut in. "Shut up if you still want me to buy you breakfast."_

_Brennan rolled her eyes. Mr. Touchy._

"_We're done, Agent Booth," the saleswoman said, still smiling. "My name and my number are on the invoice in case there's any problem with the delivery."_

_Booth nodded and looked at the invoice to read her name._

"_Thank you, Hannah."_

"_Anytime, Agent Booth."_

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Now, we are finally getting somewhere." Dr. Lance Sweets sat back in his chair and studied Seeley Booth's face with unconcealed curiosity, which - and a whole lot of five sessions proved this - his patient didn't tolerate very well.

Special Agent Seeley Booth was sent to him because of his anger management issues and his drinking problem both of which started after his rather interesting partnership with Dr. Temperance Brennan had ended. It didn't take a genius - although Dr. Lance Sweets would have like to be referred to as one at least in his field - to figure out that there was a cause and effect relation between the two things especially because during the first five sessions the Agent didn't do anything else, but denied it vehemently.

As an FBI psychologist Dr. Lance Sweets saw partnerships end for all kinds of reasons including retirement, relocation, conflict of interests and death. But the terms on which Special Agent Seeley Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan's partnership ended were rather extraordinary and he was determined to find out every single detail about it.

This is why he insisted to know more about the personal aspects of their relationship, too, and asked Agent Booth to tell him a non-work related story.

"This story about you and Dr. Brennan buying a mattress together is very interesting. It reveals a lot about both of you."

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, what an unlikely duo, Dr. Sweets thought. She had three doctorates, he had three medals. She was atheist, he was Roman Catholic. She was a best-selling author, he was a former sniper. Reason versus emotion. Brain versus heart. Yet, against all odds, these two did a great job together, proved by 32 successfully solved cases. And Dr. Sweets desperately wanted to know how this was possible.

"Yeah, like what?" Booth asked skeptically.

"Well, it proves that the two of you are completely different personalities, which could easily be the source of frustration. It is also clear to me that the two of you formed a kind of a special bond."

Booth wore a doubtful expression.

"I mean the nature of your work required spending a lot of time together," Sweets explained. "You didn't have the time to form bonds with other people. So it was natural that you asked Dr. Brennan to go mattress shopping with you."

"So it isn't a rare thing for partners to grow close?"

"No, it's normal. Question is how close?"

Booth stared out of the window. It felt awkward to talk about these things with Sweets, although he had to admit he admired his dedication. He had given him a hard time during the first five sessions and he was still here, listening patiently, determined to help.

"How close, Agent Booth?" he repeated the question.

Booth sighed. "I don't know."

"I believe you, Agent Booth. I think you don't exactly know what the partnership with Dr. Brennan meant to you. That's what we need to find out. The night when you ..."

"I don't want to talk about that night," Booth said firmly.

"You don't have to, now. We'll proceed slowly, one step at a time. We'll revisit the events that had led up to that particular night. Right? And when we get there I'm sure you will be ready to talk about it. What do you think?"

Booth shook his head. "I still can't believe I'm doing this."

"And yet you are here. You want me to help you," Dr. Sweets said, smiling.

_That night._ How many hours had he spent awake replaying it in his head again and again. Did he have the right to do what he did or was it a mistake? That was the only question he wanted Sweets to help him to answer. He nodded. "Let's do this."

"I'm glad you made that decision. That was a very crucial step," the psychologist said. " We can start it right now if you're ready."

Booth sat back and spread his arms. "I couldn't be more ready."

"Okay. So we know that what happened that night had resulted from a series of events. Our first task is to identify the first event in the series."

"I know exactly what the first event was. I even remember day when it happened. It was the day when Bones bought me the Pittsburgh Steelers mug," Booth said with a sad smile.

_(B&B)_

_Dr. Temperance Brennan was the kind of person who was unable to hide her emotions. Honesty above all. A trait that Special Agent Seeley Booth found very refreshing. Except when it drove him crazy. _

_This particular morning excitement was written all over her face, which he thought was very peculiar. Firstly, it was very early in the morning and she wasn't a morning person. Secondly, the investigation in their new case - three teenagers who died of drug overdoses - progressed very slowly and very slowly wasn't an acceptable speed for her. Thirdly, he was 20 minutes late and that again was something Dr. Temperance Brennan didn't appreciate. And yet as she opened her door, a childish smile spread across her face and her eyes lit up with excitement. _

_"Morning, Bones," he said and took note of the shiny blue gift bag she was holding in her hand._

_"Hi, Booth. Here, take this," she said, and handed him the gift bag without further explanation._

_Booth looked startled. "Since when does being twenty minutes late earn a gift?"_

_"Open it," Brennan said, rubbing his hands together expectantly._

_Booth couldn't help but smile at her childish excitement._

_"Okay," he said, and glanced into the bag. "Wow. A Pittsburgh Steelers mug? Thanks, Bones."_

_"Very rare, limited edition," she said proudly. "Angela showed me this online marketplace called e-bay. Have you heard of it? "_

_"E-bay? Yeah, I guess it rings a bell."_

_"Anyway, last time you told me my periodic table of elements mug depressed you. I don't want you to feel depressed when you're drinking coffee at my place, Booth, so I bought you a new mug. One that'll make you feel good."_

"A mug?" Dr. Sweets furrowed his eyebrows. "Does it really have a significance in our case?"

"For me it does. And not just because it's limited edition."

The doctor gave him a confused look. "So that was the first event that led up to _that night_? When Dr. Brennan gave you a mug?"

"Not exactly. Something that happened later that day."

"What happened later that day?"

Booth sighed. "That was the first time we met _him_."


	4. Chapter 4

"By _him_ you mean Dr. Nicholas Adamson?" Dr. Sweets asked.

Booth nodded.

The psychologist opened the grey plastic folder which was lying on the table in front of him and looked into it. "He was supposed to help you with the investigation."

"That's right. The case we were working on was a tough one. Three weeks before Dr. Adamson came into the picture the bodies of three teenagers had been found in a dumpster. They died of drug overdoses. Bones managed to identify the victims and Hodgins was supposed to identify the type of drug that killed them, but he couldn't. So I decided to get him some help. That was Dr. Nicholas Adamson, chief researcher of an international pharmaceutical company. I called him and asked him to come to the lab to meet us. I was late because I had to question the man who found the bodies, so when I got there, the consultation had already been finished and, apparently, some interesting discoveries had been made."

"Related to the case?" Dr. Sweets asked.

"Well, not exactly."

_(B&B)_

_Special Agent Seeley Booth hurried into the lab and found Dr. Jack Hodgins on the platform, seated by his beloved microscope._

_"Hey, Hodgins. How did it go with the expert?"_

_The doctor__ looked up form the samples. "Very well, actually. Dr. Adamson is an exceptional scientist. He has some very forward thinking ideas. Did you know that he was working on __a once-daily injectable__GLP-1__receptor__agonist__ that is in clinical trials for diabetes? He says the results are very promising.__"_

_He suddenly stopped as he caught a glimpse of Booth's impatient expression. He rose from his seat and folded his arms on his chest. "But since none of the victims suffered from diabetes you're obviously not interested in it."_

_Booth__ nodded then cleared his throat, indicating that he wanted more relevant information._

_"As far as our investigation is concerned he gave me a few useful tips. I'm running the tests he suggested right now," Hodgins said._

_"Great. Let me know if you find something. Is Bones in her office?"_

_"Yes, but before you go in, there's something you must know."_

_"What?"_

_"Look," Hodgins said and nodded toward Brennan's office, the glass wall of which offered a good view of everything that was going on in there. Booth narrowed his eyes as he was trying to process what he was looking at. On the couch next to Brennan sat a blond middle-aged man Booth had never seen before. The closeness between them both in terms of space and intimacy caught him by surprise._

_"Seems like these two are having a good time," Angela__ said, joining them._

_Booth __gave her a perplexed look. "Who is that?"_

_"That's __the expert, Dr. Adamson," Angela said. _

_"Apparently, they__ know each other," Hodgins added._

_"How?" Booth asked._

_"__She met him when she was in the foster system. Dr. Adamson's parents took in Brennan for six months when she was 16. The two kids became friends," Angela explained._

_What a coincidence, Booth thought. "Bones never mentioned him to me."_

_Angela shrugged. "She is not exactly a talker when it comes to her private matters. Look at her. She looks so happy."_

_The man put his arm around Brennan's shoulder, pulled her even closer to him, and whispered something into her ear. It must have been very amusing because Brennan's laughter could be heard even on the platform._

_"Yeah. I can see that," Booth said dryly._

_"He is fantastic, " Angela continued, ignoring the sarcastic edge to Booth's tone. "He is intelligent, handsome and successful and, believe me, his best assets are hidden under that lab coat."_

_Her remark earned two disapproving looks._

_"Intelligent, good-looking, successful? C'mon, guys. Don't you see it? He is Brennan's male version," she said and looked around triumphantly._

_Booth__'s eyebrows lowered as he was digesting what Angela had said._

_"Hey, Angela," Hodgins said. "Do you want to see what my lab coat hides?"_

_"__That's enough, guys," Booth cut in before Angela had a chance to answer. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a case to solve. I go and greet Dr. Perfection."_

"So Dr. Brennan was happy to see Dr. Adamson again," Sweets concluded.

"She was thrilled. The Adamson family was Bones's third foster family and apparently the only one that treated her well. Their son, Dr. Adamson, Nick, was 18, when she got to them. Bones and he shared a mutual interest in science and they got along really well. Adamson encouraged Bones to follow her dream and learn forensic anthropology."

"I see. And why did this bother you?"

"It didn't _bother_ me, I was just surprised that she never mentioned him."

"Well, I'm sure there are plenty of things in your past that you've never mentioned to Dr. Brennan," Dr. Sweets said.

Booth's face became tense. "I think what really bothered me is that she hasn't seen this guy for fifteen years. High-school's over. People change. We basically didn't know anything about him except for his professional achievements."

"So you didn't trust him?"

"All I say is that Bones could have been much more careful. Everyone knows how poor she is at judging people. I mean, once he dated a man who killed his own brother."

"So she and Dr. Adamson dated?"

Booth sighed. "The next morning Hodgins's call woke me up. He found something interesting and I went to Bones's place to tell her the news."

_(B&B)_

_These two really don't waste time, thought Special Agent Seeley Booth as he entered his partner's apartment. The door had been opened by the smirking Dr. Nicholas Adamson, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. His __blonde hair looked messy, indicating that he had just gotten out of bed._

_"__Come on in, Agent Booth. Temperance is getting dressed," he said._

_"Actually, I need to talk to you," Booth said__, but suddenly stopped when he noticed the coffee mug in Adamson's hand. The limited edition Pittsburgh Steelers mug that was supposed to be his. The one that Bones bought especially for him._

_Adamson misinterpreted his look.__ "Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like some coffee?"_

_"No, thanks, I just like your mug. Are you a Steelers fan, Dr. Adamson?"_

_"No, I don't really like sports. And, please, call me Nick."_

_"Okay, Nick, and you can keep calling me Agent Booth." Although he promised himself to be nice, the sight of half- naked Dr. Genius in his partner's apartment, drinking from his coffee mug, wearing that slightly smug I-had-great-sex-last-night kind of look on his face angered him so much, he couldn't conceal it. His tone gave him away._

_"Is there something wrong, Agent Booth?"_

_"You tell me."_

_Adamson looked clueless. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"__It's time to get dressed, Nick," Booth said and took a step toward Adamson._

_"He is my guest, Booth, and he can wear whatever he wants." Brennan entered the room, stepped to Dr. Adamson and put her arms around his waist. They exchanged a smile then Brennan turned to Booth. Her smile was gone._

_"Are you here for a reason?" she asked, her voice sharp and cold._

_"As a matter of fact, yes," he said and looked straight into her eyes. "Hodgins called me earlier. He found out the drugs had been made from a specific painkiller. It's called Tramidol."_

_"And?" Dr. Brennan asked._

_"Let's ask Nick," Booth said and turned to Adamson. "Is there anything you want to tell us?"_

_"Tramidol is produced in my lab," said Adamson. "But I guess you already knew that."_

**AN: Thank you very much for your reviews and your interest in my story. I have to admit that this story is much more difficult to write than I thought with all th****ese flashbacks and viewpoints, etc., so I need your feedback more than ever. Please let me know what you think. I need to know if it makes sense at all...**


	5. Chapter 5

"So someone stole the painkillers from Dr. Adamson's lab and used them to make the drugs that killed those teenagers. I assume that Dr. Adamson became your primary suspect. How did Dr. Brennan react to that?" Dr. Sweets asked.

The psychologist regarded this session as a rare opportunity to glance behind the scenes. Most of the time his encounter with FBI cases was limited to reading a factual report of them, but this time he had the chance to actually understand the motives, objectives and feelings of the persons involved.

Booth sighed. "Well, at that point things got really complicated. It was clear that I wouldn't be able to question Adamson with Bones around, so I sent her to the lab. You know, she has always been so proud of her ability to compartmentalize, but this time she was obviously unable to do that. She acted as if she had been a completely different person. I've never thought that I would say this, but Dr. Temperance Brennan was simply irrational. She was convinced that Adamson was innocent."

"And did you find anything to prove that she was wrong?"

Booth sighed. "No, I didn't. His team loved him. Apparently, a couple of years ago he was offered a function in the management board of the pharmaceutical company he was working for, but he rejected it. He devoted his life to research, and he didn't want to swap the lab coat for an Armani suit. In the evenings he gave lectures at the University of Medicine. His students loved him, too. A great professor, a good boss and a brilliant scientist. Guy was a saint."

"But he wasn't perfect, was he?" Dr. Sweets leaned forward, his face showing maybe a bit more excitement than it would have been appropriate in doctor-patient communication.

A gloating grin spread across Booth's face. "No one's perfect, Sweets," he said. "And I found the skeleton in his closet. It was his twin brother."

"Oh yes, the twin brother," Dr. Sweets said and looked into the case folder. "His name was Ryan Adamson."

Booth nodded. "That's right. Ryan, the black sheep of the Adamson family. When Bones got to the Adamsons, Ryan was being away. She never met him. She was told that he was in a boarding school, but that wasn't true. He was in rehab. Ryan Adamson was a drug addict. He was considered to be as smart as his brother, but he just wasted his talent."

"And eight years ago he was killed," Dr. Sweets said.

"Yes, a drug dealer shot him. And the circumstances of his death weren't very clear. Adamson wanted to help his brother, Ryan, to live a decent life, so he offered him a job at his lab. For some time everything had gone fine, but then painkillers started to disappear from the lab. Apparently, Ryan smuggled them out and sold them to a local dealer. But something must have gone wrong with the business and the dealer ended up killing him. And eight years later it happened again. Painkillers went missing from Adamson's lab. Coincidence? I don't think so. My guts told me that something was wrong with the guy," Booth said.

"And after all of this how could you work together with Dr. Brennan?" Dr. Sweets asked.

"I couldn't. She couldn't have imagined that her beloved childhood friend did anything wrong. So I decided to simply leave her out of the investigation. That was the best solution. She'd already identified the victims, so I didn't really need her anyway."

"Didn't she mind that?" To Dr. Sweets, Dr. Brennan seemed like a person who didn't like to be ignored.

Booth shook his head sadly. "Not at all. She was happy that she could spend more time with Adamson. But I was worried about her. I needed evidence; I knew that it was my only chance to convince her. So I carried on questioning Adamson's colleagues, and trying to find out how and when the painkillers could have been stolen. As time passed by, the distance between Bones and me grew bigger with every day. We barely talked. We didn't want to talk about the case, but apparently there was nothing else to talk about. I almost went crazy because I didn't know what was happening between them. How close they were. I wanted to protect her, so I turned to the only person I knew Bones confided in."

_(B&B)_

_"Hi, Booth." Angela greeted him with a sleepy smile and sat down at the table across from him. It was very early in the morning, so except for some early birds the diner was almost empty. The perfect place for a little private chat, Booth thought._

_"Hey, Angela. Thanks for coming. Can I get you a coffee?"_

_Angela gave her a fake-offended look. _

_"It's 6:30 in the morning, Booth. I literally had to drag myself out of bed. The least you can do is buy me a proper breakfast."_

_Booth nodded, smiling. "You're, right. You deserve it."_

_He gestured for the waitress. They made their orders and Angela got a cup of coffee. _

_"So, how are you, Angela? Everything all right with you?" Booth asked._

_Angela put down her cup and looked straight into Booth's eyes._

_"Booth, please, I know why you asked me to come here. Can we just drop the small talk and get right to the point?_

_"Okay. I want to talk to you about Bones and Adamson."_

_Angela sighed. _

_Booth' eyebrows lowered. "Why are you sighing? Is there something wrong?"_

_"I don't know, Booth. I just… she is acting weird, and it scares me. On the one hand, I'm happy for her, but on the other hand, I think she should really slow down."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_In an attempt to avoid eye contact with Booth Angela fixed her eyes on her cup. "She is thinking about moving in with him."_

_"What?" Booth asked, shocked. "That's crazy."_

_"Yes, I know, it's insane. They've only had four dates," Angela said._

_"It is insane not because they've only had four dates, Angela. It's insane because the guy might be a criminal. He is still my number one suspect."_

_"Well, you'd better find something against him soon."_

_Booth stirred his coffee thoughtfully. "I just wonder what makes this guy so special."_

_"I think she regards him as her saviour. Her family left her and she was alone. She was lost; she had no idea about how to go on with her life. Then she met Adamson who understood her. He gave her a reason to live by encouraging her to become a scientist. Her job is the most important thing in her life and Adamson reminds her why she chose this profession. That she made a good decision."_

_Booth looked up from his coffee, his expression sad._

_"Do you think she doesn't want to work with me anymore? She wants to go back to pure science hand in hand with Dr Genius?"_

_Angela reached across the table and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "She loves working with you, Booth." _

_She pulled her hand back and took a gulp from her coffee. "Although she made a comparison between the two of you."_

_"A comparison?"_

_"Yeah. Apparently, his decision to have a relationship with Adamson is based on calculations," she explained._

_"At least it sounds like the old Bones," Booth said. "How did she do it?"_

_"You know when you want to buy a new fridge and you compare the advantages and disadvantages of the different types?"_

_"A fridge? Thanks, Angela."_

_"Okay, it might not have been the most fortunate example," she said._

_"And what was the result?" Booth asked._

_Angela sighed. "She said you caused her too much grey."_

_"What? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Is it again some kind of an insider joke that only scientists can understand?" Booth burst out._

_"No, it's not. She said that before she met you the world had been a simple place for her. Everything had been either black or white. Then you came along and showed her the many shades of grey. And she is tired of grey because it's ambiguous and it confuses her. And she doesn't like to be confused."_

_Booth sighed. "I think I know what she meant. But she can't live in a two-dimensional world, Angela. Life is ambiguous and she can't ignore that. "_

_"You know it, I know it, but she is not like us, Booth. Your world is scary to her. She feels more comfortable in Adamson's world," Angela said. _

_Plus he has something else you don't have." _

_"What? Great assets under his lab coat?" Booth asked._

_"Don't be ridiculous, Booth. You can't possibly jealous of that," Angela said with a flirtatious smile._

_"Then what else does he have?" Booth asked._

_"A letter from Brennan's mother."_

**AN: Thanks for everyone who is following my story! Reviews are always welcomed! I don't know how often I will be able to update the story because I have an exam to prepare for, but I will do my best not to let you down.**


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